COSMIC Electrical Engineer II

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)•Boulder, CO

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the COSMIC Electrical Engineer II role. For nearly three decades, UCAR’s COSMIC Program has been at the forefront of Global Navigation Satellite System-Based (GNSS) remote sensing. This position joins a small, high-impact team developing next-generation instrumentation for GNSS radio occultation and reflectometry (GNSS-RO/R). The incumbent will work at the intersection of cutting-edge hardware engineering and atmospheric science, designing systems whose data products are used operationally by weather agencies and research institutions around the world. The UCAR COSMIC Program has been a leader in the retrieval and scientific application of GNSS, e.g. GPS, data since UCAR led the GPS/MET GPS radio occultation (RO) mission in the mid 1990s. It contributed to the design, management, and operation of both the FORMOSAT-3 / Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC-1) and the COSMIC-2/FORMOSAT-7 (COSMIC-2) missions. The COSMIC Program strives to provide innovative and cost-effective remote sensing observations, data products, and data utilization support to benefit scientific research, research to operations, operations, and education and training in the atmospheric and related sciences. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and various UCAR Cooperative Programs (UCP) – all in service of advancing knowledge, providing community-based resources, and building human capacity in atmospheric and related sciences.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering; 3 years of engineering experience - specifically developmental engineering. Or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience (ex: Master's degree in Engineering and at least 1 year of engineering experience; or a Ph.D).
Demonstrated experience in FPGA programming, architectural design, and SoC development using AMD (Xilinx) tools and IP.
Strong foundation in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) hardware and software.
Experience with RF front-end hardware design and analysis.
Experience with software defined radio (SDR) platforms, including Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) hardware drivers.
Proficiency in ADC/DAC interfacing and digital hardware conversion.
Working knowledge of electronic components including analog/digital circuits, amplifiers, power supplies, and digital logic.
Skilled in testing and troubleshooting electronic circuits and systems using standard bench equipment: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, and digital volt meters.
Experience with Linux/Unix (including embedded) and Windows operating environments.
Ability to manage concurrent projects and deliverables in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary research environment.
Demonstrated ability to produce clear, complete engineering documentation and instruction manuals.
Comfortable presenting technical material to mixed audiences of engineers and scientists.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in aerospace or electrical engineering or a related science field (e.g., meteorology, environmental science, earth science, computer science, etc.);
Practical experience using, maintaining, or designing mechanical and electrical/electronic systems;
Observation field experience.
Experience in building and using Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) hardware drivers, and software defined radios (SDR).
Knowledge of GNSS signal processing including signal acquisition, phase lock loop (PLL) and delay lock loop (DLL) algorithms.
Knowledge of embedded computer systems to include architecture design and firmware development.
Knowledge of Electrical Engineering Communication theory.
Knowledge of spacecraft design including communications architecture for data downlink, command uplink, and safe mode operations.
Experience using GNU radio tools.
Experience using Simulink/MATLAB.

Responsibilities

Work with scientists, engineers, and software engineers to develop digital signal processing algorithms to be implemented within a GNSS software defined radio (SDR). This includes development of System on a Chip (SoC) architecture as well as the design of digital filters, signal processing algorithms, and communication interfaces/protocols.
Design and implement complex FPGA SoC architectures using AMD (Xilinx) tools and IP, with emphasis on GNSS remote sensing applications.
Collaborate with scientists and engineers to develop and validate algorithms for integration into SDR platforms.
Contribute technical roadmaps and design input for next-generation instrumentation.
Support development of protocols for transmission, display, and analysis of environmental monitoring data.
Contribute to system design, software development, and analysis documentation.
Author and co-author project reports, system documentation, conference papers, and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Present research results at project meetings and domestic and international scientific conferences.
Create and maintain comprehensive engineering documentation for all projects, establishing best practices and formats appropriate to each project’s requirements.